Left-handedness and developmental coordination disorder.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the prevalence of left-handedness in a sample of children screened for developmental coordination disorder (DCD).


METHODS
Using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Short Form (BOTMP-SF), 2297 children were screened with 128 scoring at or below the fifth percentile and identified as probable cases of DCD. Using the Movement-ABC (M-ABC) and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, 30 children (24 from the DCD group, and 6 who scored above the cut-off) were randomly selected for further assessment.


RESULTS
Among the students who had previously scored at or below the fifth percentile on the BOTMP-SF, 24 were evaluated. Among the 19 children who met diagnostic criteria for DCD (IQ > 70, M-ABC < 16th percentile), 37% (n = 9) were left-handed. Among children who scored at or below the fifth percentile of the M-ABC, 46% were left-handed (6/13).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of left-handedness in children with DCD suggests a possible role for cerebral lateralization in motor coordination problems.
Cairney
John
J
Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. cairnej@mcmaster.ca
Schmidt
Louis A
LA
Veldhuizen
Scott
S
Kurdyak
Paul
P
Hay
John
J
Faught
Brent E
BE
D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic